Geelong picked as home for headquarters of national disability insurance scheme DisabilityCare

Updated
Mon 3 Jun 2013, 8:09 PM AEST

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Geelong chosen as headquarters for DisabilityCare

7pm TV News VIC

Less than a fortnight after Ford announced it was closing its Geelong manufacturing plant, the regional Victorian city has been chosen as the headquarters of the new DisabilityCare agency.

All states and territories - except Western Australia - have signed up to be part of the scheme, formerly known as the NDIS.

Once DisabilityCare is fully rolled out, the national headquarters in Geelong will employ 300 people, in addition to 150 people in the regional office.

The Federal MP representing the region, Richard Marles, says it is good news for a community hit hard by last month's announcement that Ford was closing its local operations.

"This will have a significant ripple impact on our economy in the fullness of time," he said.

"These are good jobs, they're well paying jobs, and from these jobs people will buying services, they'll be living in houses, and that in turn creates a very significant ripple effect."

Mr Marles says it signals a shift in how governments do business.

"This is very significant in terms of the Federal Government and the way it goes about governing, because this will really be the first serious, national federal agency which will have headquarters in regional Australia," he said.

The Barwon region of south-west Victoria, which includes Geelong, was chosen last year as one of the sites where DisabilityCare would be trialled.

The trial will start on July 1 and involve 5,000 people.

Victorian Premier Dennis Napthine the agency will be located in Geelong's CBD but he cannot guarantee all of the jobs will go to local residents.

"It would create hundreds of jobs in Geelong which would really be a great shot in the arm for Geelong, particularly at this time with the decision by Ford," Dr Napthine said.

The Victorian Government has contributed $25 million towards the cost of the office and has also agreed to fund upgrades to the Geelong train station as part of the works.

Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott also backed the idea in the wake of Ford's announcement, telling the Victorian Liberal Party State Council last weekend there was a future for Geelong "after the smokestacks".